Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Daughter
by Eliray
Summary: It's nice to have a family; be it of the dragon or human variety. Kanna-centric, background Kobayashi/Tohru. REPOST.


_A_ repost _. Decided to reupload for preservation's sake._

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Between the shrieks coming from the TV and Tohru's gentle snores, Kanna could hardly hear herself shoveling popcorn into her mouth. Naturally, the small girl shrugged and proceeded to shovel it in much more loudly.

By now Kobayashi didn't think it was unusual that such a small being as Kanna could empty no less than four large bowls of popcorn before the end of a movie.

"Kobayashi~," Kanna didn't take her eyes from the screen, watching intently as Godzilla forced a round of screams from a group of unwitting extras, "Godzilla is a _very_ bad dragon."

For a moment Kobayshi was silent. That was her way, after all, to think long and hard before she delivered a single word.

Finally, she turned to Kanna, "I'm not sure he's a dragon at all, really."

Unbothered by this revelation, Kanna shoved more popcorn in, somehow managing to speak around it, "Well, if he is he's a bad one."

"What makes a bad dragon, Kanna?"

Kanna thought for a moment. She chewed thoughtfully. "No wings. He can't fly," she decided.

Kobayashi stole a pinch of popcorn from Kanna's bowl and chuckled quietly, more to herself than Kanna.

"I can't really argue with that."

"And he's a gross green color," Kanna spared a glance to the sleep Tohru, knowing full well that in her dragon form Tohru and Godzilla shared a very similar color. "A _really_ gross color," Kanna added, maybe hoping to spark some sort of reaction from the sleeping dragon.

"What would a better color be then? White? With fluff?"

"Much better," Kanna returned her gaze to Kobayashi and agreed, very seriously. "And maybe sparkling blue eyes."

"Well then," Miss Kobayashi turned back to the TV, the matter apparently settled. Kanna watched her pat Tohru's head, gently, thoughtlessly. Lovingly. Simply because she cared even if she hid it well sometimes.

Kanna looked on curiously from the corner of her eyes.

Kobayashi was like that, Kanna thought, watching as she continued to soothe the sleeping Tohru, occasionally adjusting a lock of her orange hair. Kobayashi wasn't the kind of human to wear her heart on her sleeve but when she did care for you, it didn't seem unnatural or forced. In her own special way, Kobayashi could make anything seem alright, and she did it without even thinking or realizing it; it was simply her way.

She was a special human.

"You're not done with that popcorn already, are you?" Kobayashi's voice broke her thoughts.

"Well, not..." Kanna blinked into the almost empty bowl, "not yet. No."

"I didn't hear you crunching for a good five seconds there," Kobayashi stole another handful of popcorn, "are you alright, Kanna?"

Kanna stuffed a handful of popcorn into her mouth violently, "Yes."

Kobayashi didn't seem convinced.

Looking away from her scrutinizing gaze, "I still think he's a bad dragon," Kanna said as they watched a building tumble down.

"Yes," Kobayashi sighed, "I can see why you might think that."

"And he's still a gross color," she continued, though she had more on her mind than just Godzilla now.

"I like that color green," Kobayashi said softly, still stroking Tohru's pigtails.

"Oh." Was all Kanna said as she observed the gesture with a warm, bubbling feeling she wasn't used to experiencing. Deciding to change the subject, "Do you think they'll catch him?" Kanna wriggled closer to Kobayashi wanting some attention of her own, "Do you think they'll put him in a zoo?"

"I don't know if they're going to have a big enough zoo," Kobayashi whispered back.

Kanna finally settled herself comfortably against Miss Kobayashi, the bowl of popcorn and all.

They watched together as a final building cascaded into the rubble of the city.

"Okay," Kobayashi said in her measured voice, "I'll admit it. He's a very bad dragon."

"Kobayashi," Kanna turned to her, serious for a rare moment, popcorn abandoned for the moment, "can I ask you a question?"

Miss Kobayashi nodded slowly.

"Will you be my second mama?" Thinking, "Please." She added for good measure.

The words hung between them, permeated by Godzilla roaring in the background. Kanna didn't take her eyes from the screen, though she knew Kobayashi was staring at her, and she felt the woman stiffen uncomfortably beside her.

Kobayashi wanted to respond with a firm " _NO!_ " followed by a long-winded _"You know how I feel about it when your little Riko friend calls me your mother. No, just no."_ But she wasn't in the mood for tears. Instead, she tried to be more tactful.

"What about your..." Miss Kobayashi seemed to be hunting for a word, and when she found it she spoke in a whisper, "real mama, Kanna?" _Your dragon mother._

"I said second mama," Kanna let her eyes flick to Kobayashi's for a mere second before she had to look back to the television screen. "And maybe Tohru could be my third mama!"

Clearing her throat, "What brought this on, eh?" Kobayashi asked, her voice calm as ever though really she was feeling very uneasy.

"It's just how I feel," Kanna mumbled. "You'd be a good mama. Even if you don't know it. And you love Tohru so I think she'd be a good mom too..."

"I don't love - " Kobayashi began to defend herself but thought better of it. After all, Tohru was asleep, surely while the young dragon slept she could softly acknowledge the secret she kept guarded. She sighed, admitting internal defeat.

"Please, Miss Kobayashi. It's nice to have a family." Now with Kanna looking up at her with large, child-like eyes it was hard for Kobayashi to disagree.

Kobayashi's shoulders relaxed a little. She let out a calming breath and nodded hesitatingly. "Okay."

"Okay?" Kanna repeated.

"Okay." Kobayashi said suddenly, seriously, "I will be your second mother, Kanna."

Kanna's eyes blue eyes twinkled like jewels. Ignoring the terrible dragon's trampling on the TV she reached to the side of the couch where Miss Kobayashi had left the fifth bowl of popcorn. And a sixth.

Inhaling her popcorn in peace, Kanna barely noticed as Kobayashi's left her arm awkwardly looped around her, and the small girl scoffed as Godzilla once more disappointed her.

From the corner of her eye, she noticed Kobayashi gazing at her. It was a warm gaze that Kanna had never seen before, not even directed at Tohru when she wasn't looking.

"What?" Kanna asked around a deceptively large mouthful of junk food.

Perhaps it was her overstuffed cheeks that amused Kobayashi, or perhaps it was something entirely different, but the old woman seemed unable to say anything, and instead, it was only the slightest of smiles that tugged at her second mama's cheeks.

Dismissing the quirk as another case of humans being weird, Kanna returned her focus to the film. "His eyes aren't even the same size," Kanna deadpanned.

Miss Kobayashi laughed.


End file.
